Poker and Casino News & Gossip

If you have bene playing online poker in recent years, it is likely that you will be familiar with the names Ukash and Paysafecard. There are times when poker players haven’t been provided with too many deposit opportunities but these are two names that have regularly been available for poker players looking to top up their account.

This may make it seem as though the news that Ukash has been bought over by Paysafecard, and will now be known as Paysafecard in the UK, is bad news but in reality, there is nothing for poker players to worry about. The newly named option will be available in the same locations that Ukash was, so it isn’t going to change anything. It is also true to say that the new option will be accepted in all of the locations where Ukash was previously accepted, so there is no reason to think that anything is going to change.

Some poker players don’t like change

It would be fair to say that many people don’t like change and would prefer things to stay the same. When you think about how well Ukash has worked for many poker players in the United Kingdom, you can see why many people would prefer for the status quo to remain in place. However, given that there is no tangible change that will arise from this switch of name, there is no reason to think that it will have any impact on an individual’s poker playing activities or options.

Current Ukash customers can try out Paysafecard for free

Of course, no matter how much you tell people that things aren’t going to change, there will always be some people that need some persuading. This is why the consumer promotion being organised by Paysafecard during August is well worth checking out. The company is offering all current Ukash customers the opportunity to try out the Paysafecard service. This is being facilitated with the offer of a free £5 Paysafecard PIN. This is definitely an offer that is too good to turn down, and hopefully any fears that people may have will be removed by this promotion.

When it comes to funding your poker playing opportunities, there is a great deal to be said for calling on the Paysafecard Poker option. Whether you have been a loyal Ukash customer over the years or you are looking for a safe and effective way to fund your online poker account, you will find that Paysafecard is a great option for UK poker players.

One of the biggest developments in the online poker community of late, barring the changing regulations in the US, has been the emergence of fast-fold poker. These games are everywhere and virtually every major poker site offers their own version of the game. These games are great and offer players the chance to get more hands in, which is crucial if you are short on time and looking to do more with your time.

The thing is though, it may be that these games are taken away from players before they really get to know them. This is down to the fact that The Rational Group, which is the company that owns PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, has been granted a patent for “fast-fold poker”. Full Tilt Poker was the first online site to provide this form of poker and this decision could have an impact on what plenty of online poker sites are able to provide.

Poker stars get fast-fold patent – May 2014
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted the Rational Group a patent for fast-fold poker. As a result, competitors of the industry leader could end up at a disadvantage when similar products are offered in the USA. At present, PokerStars is also lacking a license allowing it to operate on the regular online poker part in the USA. Nevertheless, it has a trump card in light in the fact that the United States Patent and Trademark Office approved a patent for the Rational Group for fast-fold poker varieties.

Full speed ahead for some poker sites

The patent is going to focus on Zoom Poker, which is currently on offer at the PokerStars site. It is as of yet uncertain whether the patent will also cover Rush Poker, which is the version provided by Full Tilt. If it doesn’t, you can bet that the firm will just use their own intellectual property on the Full Tilt Poker site. While it is believed that this patent will have no impact on poker sites that are based outside of America, it certainly causes a few issues for online poker sites in the USA. This means that firms like Full Flush may have to look at what they offer and whether they need to make changes to one of the most popular games on offer from online poker sites at the moment.

US sites that are offering this style of game, or a variant of it, will need to reach an agreement with The Rational Group or stop using it. This is going to have a financial impact on a number of sites and there may not be the desire to find out the full cost of paying for this style of gaming. With many poker sites still coming to terms with the cost of setting up their service, it may well be that additional costs of an unexpected nature like this will be too much or not worth putting up with. However, the fact that so many online poker players love playing this style of poker means that some sites will feel as though they have no choice but to stump up the money.

Some people will try and tell you that there is nothing guaranteed in life apart from death and taxed. This is blatantly not true. If you want proof that there are some things in life which are guaranteed you only have to check in and see what Party Poker is offering this Sunday. On Sunday the 11th of May 2014, Party Poker has a guaranteed game with a prize pool of $500,000. The top prize in the game is a cool $100,000 so there is definitely going to be a lot to look forward to. The fact that these prizes are guaranteed flies in the face of what so many people tell you is true.

The big event starts at 14:00 ET, which is 20:00 CET and there are a number of ways in which you can play your way to glory. If you want to be guaranteed a seat at the big event all you need to do is buy-in directly at the price of $200. For some poker players, this will be too high a price but there will be some poker players that enjoy the simplicity of life and the peace of mind that comes with such an action. There is a slight incentive to buy yourself in to the event directly because anyone that does so will find themselves in line for a $500 win bonus on top of any other winnings they receive. If you are keen to add an extra reason to make an investment, this may be all that you need.

Poker players can have some fun for a very low fee

Of course, there are plenty of online poker players who have no intention of paying such a fee for a poker tournament. The good news is that there is no need to because there is an opportunity to qualify for the guaranteed event through satellite events. Satellite events have long been the favourite aspect about tournament play for many poker players and this major event is no exception.

There are satellite events running which have no entry charge and there are satellite events running which have a $1 charge. Clearly one of these entry prices is more appealing than the other but if you have been around online poker for any reasonable length of time, you know that the higher price entry level will always be slightly easier. As the saying goes, you pay your money and you take your choice.

If you still haven’t qualified by Sunday there will be an additional chance to qualify through the Mega Satellites, which have a $5 entry fee. There will be 100 guaranteed seats on offer and this event takes place at 10:30 ET, which is equivalent to 16:30 CET. Gaining entry to a major tournament for just a five dollar outlay is still clearly good value so don’t rule out this option too soon. There may not be many things in life which are guaranteed but there is guaranteed fun on offer for poker players on Sunday.

When it comes to playing online poker, there is a lot to be said for the old adage “the more the merrier.” Knowing that there are more poker players to pit your wits against is always a good thing for poker players and if you are looking for a viable online poker site, you want to find one that can give you plenty of opponents. This means a poker site has to be open to all players and it has to go out of its way to bring as many players to the poker table as possible.

This is definitely the case with PokerStars Mac. This poker site knows the benefits of providing incentives for players to join up with them and if you are focused on obtaining a big welcome bonus, this could be the site that is right for you. Any player that makes a deposit of at least $20, you will receive a bonus of $20 worth of free play on the site. Not only that but new players will receive a ticket to take part in the 100K Privilege Freerolls. This is a great bonus because it offers players the opportunity to play up to four different tournaments every single day for 31 days. This will offer players the chance to play for a share of at least $100,000. Any poker player that wants to get the best possible start on an online poker site will find that PokerStars is the place to play.

PokerStars is open to all

Another reason why PoksterStars is considered to be one of the busiest and best online poker sites is down to the fact that Mac players are able to join in the fun. The PokerStars Mac option ensures that everyone can play and this is a hugely important feature for players. Knowing that you can play against all of your friends, whether they have a PC or Mac, is a great comfort for all online poker players.

In order for players to earn their free $20, they need to utilise the FREE20 code when they make a real money deposit of at least $20. The credit will be applied to a player’s account within a period of thirty six hours, allowing players to gain access to their bonus in a short period of time. The fact that the bonus is readily available and easy to obtain should be of interest to all online poker players.

One of the things about the Titan Casino site is that they love to provide players with bonuses and extras. The site has a very strong reputation in serving up a massive welcome bonus and after this, they keep on providing additional bonuses and benefits for players to come back to the site on a very regular basis. All of this would suggest that the site works extremely hard to provide players with plenty of great bonuses but you know that you can always rely on this site to go a bit further for their players.

This can be found in the fact that there is a range of additional deposit bonuses on offer from Titan Casino. The amount of deposit methods made available by the Titan Casino is a very good thing but you can use it to your advantage. If you choose the best method for depositing funds into your account, you may find the site offering you up a lot more money to play with. Smart casino players know that boosting your bankroll is very sensible and this is exactly what is on offer when you play on the Titan Casino site.

Get more money for your money from Titan Casino

You should already know how great Titan Casino is, and if you don’t be sure to check out the TitanCasino.com review site. However, did you know that if you deposit funds into your account via Neteller, you will receive a 15% deposit bonus. Similarly, if you deposit funds into your Titan Casino account from a prepaid UKash card, you will also receive a 15% deposit bonus. If you use PayPal, and most people will because it is the most instantly recognisable online wallets you will find, you will receive a 10% matched deposit bonus, which is a great way to get some more into your online account.

There are a number of different opportunities for you to deposit funds and pick up a bonus so you should keep a close eye on what the Titan Casino site has to offer. There is no getting away from the fact that this is an online casino that loves to provide big bonuses to its players. All of which means that many players decide that Titan Casino is the site for them. If you are keen to find an online casino that values your patronage and is keen to ensure you come back on a regular basis, this is likely to be the site for you.

When it comes to winning when you play casino games, having a brilliant bankroll will be of benefit. This is something that you should look out for and Titan Casino can give you what you want.

Given that there are a large number of people who appear to be opposed to online poker in the United States, it is inevitable that there will be some parts of the media who will focus on the negative side of online poker. It has to be said that not everyone can play online poker and remain in full control of their finances or decision making. While the vast majority of poker players know when to say enough is enough, there will be some who keep on playing, placing themselves and their families at risk. This is something that will be brought up against online poker and it is clearly an area for the activity to work harder at. While it may be a small number of people who are affected in this way, there is a need for online poker sites and companies to support their players.

However, in the balance of fairness, it is important that the media which reports the negative elements of online poker reports the positive elements of online poker as well. Some people may say that there are no positive elements of online poker but this would be extremely wrong. Given how many politicians and lawmakers are so woefully out of touch, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see people forming this opinion but there is genuinely a lot more to online poker than just ruining lives! In some cases, online poker can go a long way to helping people rebuild their lives and to getting people back on track. This is something that not many news portals have focused on but PartyPoker NJ has been working hard to give something back. Just as importantly, the site is aiming to give a lot more back in 2014.

US online poker can help people out

The site held its first “Restore The Shore” tournament on the 4th of January. Given the festive period, it is understandable that some people may have missed this but it was a tournament aimed at providing aid and assistance for the ongoing recovery process surrounding Hurricane Sandy. This is a project which PartyPoker NJ is working together with Hometown Heroes, a non-profit organisation. The “Restore The Shore” series takes its name from an on-going charity endeavour which shares the same name. When it comes to real money poker US stories, this is definitely one of the feel-good stories so far of 2014 and it is important that the online poker community is acknowledged for their hard work. It is not as if the poker community is going to be able to provide a solution to the problems caused by Hurricane Sandy all by themselves but at least they are willing to play a part in helping people out.

The first tournament went to benefit Seaside and there will be tournaments taking place over the next few months and each tournament will help a particular community which has been affected. The next “Restore The Shore” event takes place on Saturday the 1st of February and it will be aiding Toms River and Ortley Beach. After this, Saturday the 1st of March is the date in question and Brick will be receiving support on this date. Saturday the 5th of April is the next date to look out for and Union Beach will be the beneficiaries of that day’s poker play. Saturday the 3rd of May sees Ocean Gate benefit and Saturday the 7th of June is the day when Lavalette benefits.

Every entry into the tournament will generate a $20 donation to the cause. Players buy-in at $20 with $10 of this going to the charity and the other $10 goes to the prize pool. The additional $10 comes from a matching donation which is being made for every entry into the event.

While New Jersey poker plans have been reveling in their new found freedom, there has been a setback for players with the news that PokerStars have had their review process suspended for a period of two years. Given the size and scope of PokerStars, a number of players were looking forward to this company setting up in the state.

There are a number of US poker sites for real money but few lack the size, strength and gravitas of PokerStars. Their appearance in the US market would have indicated just how strong the market was again and could have led the way for other firms to make their appearance in the USA.

The state of New Jersey released a statement saying;

“The Division of Gaming Enforcement has determined that the application of the PokerStars casino service industry licensure will be held in a suspended status for a period of two years. “The Division, within that period, may consider a request for relief to reactivate the application if significantly changed circumstances are demonstrated at which time the Division’s investigation of PokerStars and its affiliated entities and associated individuals will be resumed to assess suitability.”

A further statement was issued by the Regulators in New Jersey saying;

“The Division’s determination is based primarily on the unresolved federal indictment against Isai Scheinberg for the alleged violation of federal gambling statutes, namely, the Illegal Gambling Business Act and [UIGEA], and the involvement of certain PokerStars executives with Internet gaming operations in the United States following the enactment of UIGEA.”

PokerStars suffered badly with Black Friday

It would be fair to say that PokerStars were one of the big names that Black Friday set out to attack. In the summer of 2012, PokerStars, while admitting no wrongdoing, paid more than $730million to the US Government. The company managed to obtain Full Tilt Poker in the deal but they were told that if they wanted to come back into the US poker market, they would have to do so in a jurisdiction where there was an opportunity to gain an online licence and they were granted to do so.

PokerStars released a statement saying;

“We are disappointed that the N.J. Division of Gaming Enforcement has suspended the review of our application at this time. We note that the DGE will resume the review of our application if our circumstances change. We will remain in open dialogue with the DGE and will update them on changes in our situation as they occur.”

This is definitely a blow to PokerStars but they are probably one of the online poker companies who will be able to carry on regardless after such an outcome. As the biggest poker site in the world, it is not as if they are struggling for players and just because New Jersey has knocked them back doesn’t mean that they have no options in the United States. The company still has every chance to be licenced in the United States in 2014 and given half the chance, there is no doubt that the company would love to be valid in California.

When PokerStars first looked into receiving legislation in the US, they were looking to be active in Nevada. The company had managed to strike up the beginning of a partnership with Wynn Resorts. Sadly, these plans were struck down when Black Friday happened but of course, PokerStars got their head down and got on with things. They will need to have this attitude again after the New Jersey setback. No one would truly bet against PokerStars getting to where they want to be in life, but it will be a struggle.

No matter what you are doing in life, receiving a warm welcome can make a massive difference. Knowing that you are being made to feel welcome is definitely something that will help you to be happy and glad to be around. This is particularly true for an online casino. You only have to think about the huge range of online casinos there are to choose from. All of these sites should be working hard to ensure that they provide people with the best reason to sign up for their site and this is where a warm welcome bonus can make all the difference.

This is definitely where a 100% matched deposit bonus is likely to make a big impact on players. When you sign up for a casino site, you will want to have as much money to bet with. Having access to a big bankroll is very important for players and one of the best ways to achieve this is with picking up a matched deposit bonus. Knowing that you can earn up to €100 as a bonus when you make your initial deposit on a site is going to be a big factor in deciding to sign up for a particular site.

Some online casino sites make it easier to choose them

There are a number of sites that offer this sort of promotion with the Golden Euro Casino being one of the most prominent sites. As the name of the casino indicates, this is a casino that is focused on providing European casino players the best possible online gaming experience. If you would much rather play with Euros as your choice of currency as opposed to the US dollar, this site will provide you with everything you are looking for. It may sound like a small issue but it is an issue that can have a big impact on how comfortable a player feels with a particular site.

There is also a lot to be said for the fact that €100 is worth more than $100. If you break your decisions down to the most basic of levels, being able to get more money to gamble with is always going to win out in the end. This means for convenience or overall benefit, there is likely to be a reason to choose a casino offering the Euro currency as opposed to playing in dollars.

There are lots of different factors that you need to weigh up when looking for an acceptable online casino. The level of bonus that is provided to new players when they sign up should be something that you pay attention to. A good welcome bonus will provide you with a starting bankroll that offers the best chance to explore a site and what it has to offer. The Golden Euro Casino is a great example of how a site can entice players to their site by providing a welcome bonus of value and merit.

While it is convenient to group all poker players together as being similar, there is a lot to be said for there being many different types of poker players. This is the same for all walks of life and no matter what style of activity people enjoy, it will be possible to break the group down into smaller groups. This may be something that marketing departments do to ensure that they promote their offerings more effectively but in reality, it can be done to ensure that people get the most fun and enjoyment from the activity that they like.

When it comes to considering the different style of poker online players, you don’t need to think too hard. There will be some players that enjoy the social aspect of playing poker. Knowing that you are sharing an activity with other people from all around the world is something that a lot of people appreciate.

There will be poker players that have spare time and like to play poker as a form of entertainment. The money aspect may not be too important for these poker players but it will be a nice little bonus. However, these players are likely to have a set amount of money that they can use and if they are able to fill their spare time while playing poker, they will find their bankroll to be money well spent.

Playing poker online is a great activity

There are players that play poker online as a way to develop their skills. Whether this is to beat their friends at a later date or to play in major poker events, developing skills can be of great benefit. Playing online means that there is always an opportunity to practice, which is something that players will learn from and can get rewards at a later date.

There are also players that play poker online so they can try and win money. Whether the player is a professional poker player making a living or they are a casual poker player looking to pick up some extra cash, there is always something available on online poker sites.

No matter what type of poker player you are, you’ll find that one of the best poker online options is found at Bovada Poker. The site has a great reputation for reliability, making this a site you can play on with confidence. There is also a considerable amount of cash on offer at this site. If you like the idea of there being a guaranteed prize pot of $170,000 on offer every Sunday, this is definitely a poker site you will love.

One of the best things about poker is that it is a very simple game. Yes, it is difficult to master and it is impossible to know what the turn of the cards will bring but at its heart, poker is a game that people are fond of and have a handle on it very easily. This should indicate that playing poker is a straightforward past-time for most people but sadly, this is not always the case. There are a lot of people that don’t like poker because they see it as gambling and something which will corrupt the people of a nation!

The vast majority of online poker USA players will agree that it is important to create safeguards around poker playing because there is a risk of people becoming too involved with the game or youngsters becoming involved and making bad decisions. You will struggle to find anyone that believes online should be allowed to be run in any shape or form. There is a need for rules, legislation and guidelines for online poker and this is something that the vast majority of people will agree with. However, most people will also agree that the current rules for online poker for American players are draconian and forces otherwise law abiding people into making bad decisions.

Poker should be open to all

This is a great shame because there is no doubt that playing poker can be fun and socially acceptable for many people. It may sound strange but a game that is played online from the comfort of your own home can provide people with the opportunity to have fun and engage with others. This is just one of the benefits that online poker brings to the USA which is why it is good to see that there are some sites that work hard to provide poker players with a great range of poker options.

Poker is a great activity and even though it is getting easier to play poker in the US, it is still not as simple as it should be. However, there are sites like Anonymous Poker which provide players with the opportunity to pit their wits against a wide range of opponents. It doesn’t matter what sort of skill set you have, there is a chance for players to play legally and confidently in the United States.

The laws on poker playing in the US are slowly and surely changing in favour of the player. The progress may be slow but every new state accepting online poker or making it easier for banks to process payments will give more and more people the chance to play online poker.

One of the most important elements about the development of online poker in the USA is the change in mind-set. Many people have been led to believe that it is wrong for them to play online poker, which is certainly not the case. As more and more people realise it is safe and legal to play poker in the USA, the better it will become for all US poker players.